Pelicans emphasize finish of sport conditions after loss to Timberwolves – NOLA.com

New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the staff throughout a play overview through the first half of the basketball sport towards the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Heart in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Employees Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Occasions-Picayune)
The New Orleans Pelicans’ movie session Wednesday morning was the nineteenth one this season that got here after a loss.
This one was maybe the hardest one to observe.
Most of the different 18 losses had been blowouts or video games that had been determined by the point the top of the fourth quarter got here round.
Tuesday’s time beyond regulation loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves was not solely a sport the Pelicans might have received, but it surely was one they need to have received.
The Pels led 129-125 when Jose Alvarado rebounded a missed shot by Minnesota’s Donte DiVinceno with simply 46.4 seconds remaining. However Alvarado turned the ball over, resulting in a Timberwolves’ basket to make it a 2-point sport. Jeremiah Fears missed a contested layup with 13.6 seconds left. Minnesota, trailing 129-127, known as a timeout with 7 seconds left. Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards drove to the basket for a lay-up to ship the sport to time beyond regulation and Minnesota pulled away. The Pelicans had a foul to offer on the Edwards drive, however didn’t use it.
New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego talks with the staff throughout a play overview through the first half of the basketball sport towards the Golden State Warriors on the Smoothie King Heart in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (Employees Photograph by David Grunfeld, The Occasions-Picayune)
So its straightforward to know why Pelicans’ interim head coach James Borrego used Wednesday’s observe to focus solely on finish of sport conditions.
“(It’s an) space of  development,” Borrego stated. “You set your self in these positions and now you’ve bought to shut. We’re on the purpose line and we’ve bought to determine find out how to shut. It’s maturity. It is execution. It’s poise. It’s confidence.”
The Pelicans (3-19) don’t have to attend lengthy to see if the observe helped. They get one other shot on the Timberwolves (13-8) Thursday at Smoothie King Heart.
Losses within the clutch function teachable moments for a younger staff, significantly rookies like Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
“Simply be extra disciplined,” Queen stated. “Shut out the sport higher. No turnovers. No second probabilities for them. And simply execute.”
Borrego’s Wednesday observe consisted of the staff going via varied finish of sport eventualities. It ranged from being up by two with 30 seconds left to being down by 2 with 30 seconds left and every part in between.
“Do it till you want what you see,” Borrego stated. “Ensure we’re all speaking about it what we’re on the lookout for and attempt to replicate it as a lot as doable. You’ll be able to’t get the strain stage or stress stage that you just’ll get tomorrow evening or in a sport, however you possibly can definitely simulate it as a lot as you possibly can.”
Borrego focuses on the main points and is all about repetition till the staff will get it proper. Due to the way in which the schedule has performed out, this was simply his fourth precise observe with the staff since taking on for Willie Inexperienced. Quite a lot of the observe time has targeted on what Borrego calls “extra foundational stuff.”
“This staff has to dominate the margins,” Borrego stated. “That’s the purpose proper now.”
The margins are how the staff does after a timeout. And on the finish of quarters and finish of video games.
“These conditions we wish to dominate,” Borrego stated. “It’s very doable. It’s not rocket science. (It takes) some focus. You’ve bought to offer it consideration. You’ve bought to cope with it. Ensuring guys know the place they must be. All of it comes all the way down to the main points there. (Wednesday) was most likely probably the most detailed, finish of the sport observe I’ve had shortly. It’s been a minute. It felt good. We felt the ache of final evening. We owned it. That’s the fantastic thing about this staff. No person’s hanging their heads.”
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